As people who are considering bariatric surgery learn more about this procedure, they are also discovering the effects of the surgery on other health conditions besides obesity. The most tangible result of having the surgery is seeing a drastic physical difference in appearance. What others cannot see, however, is that many other serious health conditions disappear along with the weight.

Based on a survey of people who had a sleeve gastrectomy procedure, 50 percent have reported a drop in high blood pressure. This is significant, considering the reports from the American Heart Association that one in three adults suffers from hypertension. One reason the changes in other health conditions may occur could be the fact that the sleeve gastrectomy procedure is minimally invasive with a shorter recovery time than some other major bariatric surgical procedures. Those who choose it have small scars and much less pain.

Sleep apnea is another condition that people who are obese face regularly. The condition forces people to stop breathing for at least 10 seconds or more at intervals while they are sleeping. As a person gains weight, increased soft tissue can block the airway, especially if the tong muscles and throat are more relaxed as they are during sleep. Some people go for years and do not realize they have this condition until it begins to adversely affect the heart or other organs. Sleeve gastrectomy has improved sleep apnea in 60 percent of patients who have the procedure. Surgical weight loss cures much more than obesity.